


Striking Thirteen

by do_it_to_julia (orphan_account)



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Amputation, F/F, Forbidden Love, Gratuitous 1984 references, Homeworld - Freeform, Medical Procedures, Totalitarian society
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:58:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4615746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/do_it_to_julia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love blooms rarely in this place.</p><p>Two peridots find each other amongst the order and oppression of Homeworld. (DISCONTINUED)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Striking Thirteen

The operating theatre was white and clean, and the peridots went about their preparation with orderly precision, identical from each other save the newly-awakened Gem strapped to the table. Peridot designation Theta-3701 stole a glance at their patient as she ran the initial scans, observing coldly the slender hands and feet that she herself had lost only a century ago, when she, too, was new.

It was standard for this procedure to be performed by other peridots, ostensibly because they were designed for the very precision and technological aptitude that the operation required, but also, 3701 suspected, because it made them complicit in each other's alteration. Each peridot had been subjected to the necessary amputations by another peridot, and would in turn perform the same service for her sisters who came after her. It was no accident that every single one of them would be assigned to this duty at some point in their lives.

All this 3701 noted without emotion or judgement, for it was not hers to question what the Homeworld administration required of her. She had been designed to follow orders. All gems were, to some extent.

A small sound, like the chime of some hidden apparatus, caught the peridot's attention, and she realised belatedly that their patient was whimpering. With a small gesture, 3701 brought up the patient's file and checked their patient's designation.

"Is there a problem, Lambda-4413?"

She kept her voice level, knowing that any appearance of sympathy--whether deliberate or not--would earn the undue attention of their obsidian overseers, the tall, intimidating administrative gems whom she knew to be remotely observing the procedure. Emotional expression outside of the expected parameters would be grounds for concern at least, and a death sentence at worst. The peridot caste was engineered to be detail-oriented and methodical, with a singular dedication to their assigned tasks. Neuroticism was a common side-effect to this; empathy was not. From the bench behind her, she heard 4413's quiet, uncertain answer.

"No. There is no problem."

Nobody enjoyed this, of course, but enjoyment was not the point. It was natural for new gems to feel some trepidation; after all, they'd had little time to absorb the ideology of Homeworld, to become fully convinced of their own loyalty. This would come, given time. Still, Peridot felt the need to say something, though she was not sure why. The words were out of her mouth almost before she had fully considered them.

"The procedure generally takes no more than 0.7 hundredths of a rotation. If you remain still, we may be able to complete our work before the allotted time." It was a statement of fact, not a reassurance, but 4413 seemed to relax a little, nonetheless, and 3701 wondered whether she had overstepped the line. There was no more time to think, though; silently, another peridot handed her the laser scalpel, and as the required electrodes were attached to their patient's gem, 3701 activated the handheld device to check it was working before performing one last quick scan to ensure that the planned incisions had been marked in the correct places.

The arms were first. Peridot avoided 4413's eyes as she lowered the scalpel. Now, typically, came the screaming, and she braced herself for the sound. There was no way to avoid this, since the mechanisms for detecting pain and touch could not be deactivated without significant effort and the risk of damage to a peridot's gem.

Strangely, though, 4413 did not scream.

She heard the peridot on the other side of the bench request a quick update on the patient's haptic systems, but somehow, 3701 knew that there would be nothing wrong. It was determination, or courage, that kept 4413 from making any sound louder than a whimper, and the thought elicited a strange surge of admiration within her.

Yet for the rest of the operation, she worked without meeting her patient's eyes, as if afraid of what she might see.


End file.
